There Is Power in Solitary Moments

As leaders, there are times when we experience profound loneliness. Sometimes, those moments can be eased by relying on a small trusted group for decisions or a larger group for broader conclusions.

The most challenging situations, however, are when a leader has to act alone and there is no one to share it with. These are moments of deep conviction that the decision to be made is ours alone. They don’t happen often, but they do happen. In those moments, we realize how important it is to stay close to God.

The Bible mentions two great leaders who were alone when making major decisions: Jesus and Abraham. In His agony in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-39), Jesus went to pray with His disciples. In verse 36, He says, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." Then He takes Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him and says to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." (verse 38) Jesus goes farther and prays to the Father that this cup of suffering might be taken from Him. That decision to be with the Father and make that request was His alone, and during that time, He withdrew from everyone else. Have you ever wondered whether Peter heard Jesus' prayer?

Abraham was also a leader who had his own solitary decision-making moment in Genesis 22. Who could he have shared that decision with to kill or sacrifice his son? Talk to Sarah? Talk to his counselors? I can imagine Sarah hearing from her husband that he was going to kill Isaac, the son of promise. I believe Sarah and the elders would have thought he was insane and would have done everything they could to stop him from obeying God. It was his moment of decision, and his alone.

The peace in the Body of Christ is the cause God has directed me to pursue. I drew near to Him in solitude after feeling compelled to do so. Leader, there are moments when it is you, God, and no one else. Lean into those moments and watch your leadership become more focused and purposeful.